Stop, Look, and Listen:Every day this month, the BBC Magazine will be featuring a classic public information film from the past six decades. Today's is a "must see." It has everything, including the Grim Reaper's twin as "the Spirit of Dark and Lonely Water," backed by eerie narration by Donald Pleasence. Mere description cannot do it justice. Go and check it out: Sensible children! I have no power over them!(Thanks to altariel for the lead.)

A human being in perfection ought always to preserve a calm and peaceful mind, and never to allow passion or a transitory desire to disturb tranquillity. I do not think that the pursuit of knowledge is an exception to this rule. If the study to which you apply yourself has a tendency to weaken your affections, and to destroy your taste for those simple pleasures in which no alloy can possibly mix, then that study is certainly unlawful, that is to say, not befitting the human mind. If this rule were always observed; if no man allowed any pursuit whatsoever to interfere with the tranquillity of his domestic affections, Greece had not been enslaved; Caesar would have spared his country; America would have been discovered more gradually; and the empires of Mexico and Peru had not been destroyed.

That find is interesting, but I feel sorry for the archaeologists who found it. CNN doesn't say who it was, and the BBC article I read talked all about Zahi Hawass and Weeks without ever mentioning who or what group found this new tomb.

I agree with you about the University of Memphis researchers. So far, no names have been mentioned (that I've seen) in any of the headlines. Then again, they may still be on such a high, they haven't noticed!

Human beings in perfection are highly overated. ;) If no man allowed any pursuit whatsoever to interfere with the tranquility of his domestic affections....the world would be a very predictable and boring place. If I read that right, lol.

Love that song by Kate Bush, that whole album is good...it's got it's own creepy spots. Speaking of old films and The Whole Story...puts me in mind of "Duck and Cover". The atom bomb was the ultimate boogie man still when I was young.

If no man allowed any pursuit whatsoever to interfere with the tranquility of his domestic affections....the world would be a very predictable and boring place.

I definitely see what you mean there; I found it an interesting idea, though, that if we live in such a way that we divorce ourselves from feeling the simple connections - love, empathy, sympathy, etc. - that this is when we prove capable of some of the worst of history's tragedies.

I do indeed love Kate Bush. Her new "Joanni" from Aerial is an instant favorite for me. Good point about the bomb being the boogie man, as well. Students today don't appreciate what an ever-present danger it was in our minds.

What an incredible find in Egypt. I am pre-registered to see the Tutankhamun exhibit at the The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia (next year!) ... the current exhibit isn't nearly as grand in scale as the one that came to the US in the late 1970s; the now famous 'mask' is not among the pieces on display this time around ... but I have been told that it is still quite wonderful.

Interestingly enough, I did a research paper and presentation in college for one of my art history classes on Howard Carter's discovery ... I don't think most people realize that Carter had very little money left (and his principal financial backer for these digs had just told him "no more $"). He had just enough for approx. two months worth of 'searching' and after that he would have had to pack up and leave. He had only his theories of where the tomb might be, along with his instinct ... see, it always pays to follow those instincts!!

Ooooh, the Tutankhamun exhibit at the The Franklin Institute sounds incredible! I hope you'll post a report when you return. Have a fantastic time. I can imagine it will be all the more meaningful because you've researched the discovery. I didn't realize how "down to the wire" Carter's search was. That story makes his accomplishment all the more breathtaking! It amazes me, with this discovery on the heels of the new Maya find, how much more there is for us to learn, and how much we don't yet know. It's so exciting.

Just dropping in for a much-belated 'hey there,' and thank you for your wonderful, thoughtful card, and yay Kate Bush!! You and eccequambonum have both mentioned that song recently; makes me have it on my mind as well. I'll write you a proper letter in the next week to get you caught up on the RL stuff, which is actually pretty quiet; job, working out, choir, writing, knitting. Not a bad life. ;)

Hope you're having a wee bit of time to yourself these days. Down time, that is. I'm thinking of you and hope you're not running yourself ragged, though given your travel schedule, it seems impossible.

Hey there! Not a bad life, indeed - I look forward to hearing more! I wore my new fingerless gloves today and got lots of comments. They are so gorgeous. I have a perfectly electric blue shade of nail polish that really sets them off, so I'm sure you can imagine that I'll be wearing it for a while. I felt like I was getting one long, snuggly hug from you as I wore them. You are the most thoughtful thing ever! *grateful hugs* Enjoy the Olympics tonight. I know exactly what you mean about the powerful impact of seeing all of those individuals gather from all over the world.

((((((FG)))))) It's so good to hear from you! I know exactly how it is - I've been really busy too, and I haven't even caught up yet on LJ. I've been thinking of you and my other friends, though. Thank you so much for stopping and saying hello! Have a wonderful weekend.